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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pass — a permit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. drill — army training
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. toast — bread
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com